1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to animal excrement removal devices and, more particularly, to a portable flushing device with a housing for defining a temporary enclosure around the excrement and conduits for flushing a quantity of water and the excrement into a drain.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The problem of removal of animal wastes from the ground and sidewalks is a common one for pet owners. The problem is acute when a pet is contained in a small yard, which is often rendered useless for other purposes by the deposits of pet waste accumulating at unpredictable locations and times. There have been many devices marketed to aid the pet owner with waste disposal, generally intended to be useful away from the home yard. These devices are directed to collection of the feces rather than ultimate disposal of the remains. The most simple devices simply scrape the wastes into a container for later disposal. Among these collectors is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,456-Barnett, which discloses a container with an integral scoop. U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,979-Bau discloses a scoop device for gathering wastes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,116-Tufte, Jr. discloses a collapsible container with an integral handle and a separate spatula for manually loading the waste material into the container. These devices are all used in the manner of a scraper for urging the wastes into a collection receptacle.
Others have solved the problem of waste collection with hand operated devices which employ remotely-movable scrapers having linkage-connected members operable to push the wastes into a container. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,358-Ayers; U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,697-Kahan; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,337-Sherhandt.
Sherhandt is primarily directed to a pick-up device, but also discloses means to clean automatically the inner part of the receptacle and to discharge a quantity of liquid, such as a spray of disinfectant, into the container after the operation.
Some others, particularly U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,185,355-Williams and 4,478,448-Albert, have disclosed more complex devices such as powered means providing suction to pull the wastes into a container. 11 these devices are effective to confine the wastes in an inner receptacle, but that is where their convenience and effectiveness end. The user must still empty the device and probably should clean it. The effect is simply to delay facing the ultimate disposal of the mess.
In all the prior art, the direction is towards collection. Once the animal wastes have been deposited into a container, by one means or another, little thought has been given to effecting ultimate disposal or to facilitating cleanup. There is therefore, a need for an animal waste collection device which also breaks up the wastes and finally disposes of them in a sanitary and convenient manner.